This thesis presents a general approach to accessing nitrogen-substituted hetero- and carbocycles. In short, the annulation reactions developed in the thesis make it possible to access nitrogen-substituted four-, five- and six-membered rings, all essential building blocks for the synthesis of bioactive molecules. Many natural products display a saturated polycyclic core allowing a well-defined arrangement of functional groups in space. As such, they can interact with biological targets with a high degree of affinity and selectivity, surpassing many synthetic drugs. Nevertheless, the efficient synthesis of such complex ring systems poses a challenge for organic chemistry. Through careful tuning of the electronic properties of a nitrogen donor group and a diester acceptor group, the first [3+2] annulation reaction between aminocyclopropanes and enol ethers or carbonyl compounds is now possible. The reaction proceeded under mild catalytic conditions, and the building blocks obtained can be found at the core of bioactive alkaloids, drugs such as Ramipril and biomolecules such as DNA and RNA. Thanks to the dynamic kinetic asymmetric annulation of aminocyclopropanes with enol ethers and aldehydes, access to enantioenriched compounds is also now possible. Lastly, a synthesis of donor-acceptor aminocyclobutanes via [2+2] cycloaddition using a cheap iron catalyst was developed, allowing them to be used in [4+2] annulations to access cyclohexylamines.

Juan I. Padrón and Víctor S. Martín: Catalysis by means of Fe-based Lewis acids; Hiroshi Nakazawa*, Masumi Itazaki: Fe–H Complexes in Catalysis; Kristin Schröder, Kathrin Junge, Bianca Bitterlich, and Matthias Beller: Fe-catalyzed Oxidation Reactions of Olefins, Alkanes and Alcohols: Involvement of Oxo- and Peroxo Complexes; Chi-Ming Che, Cong-Ying Zhou, Ella Lai-Ming Wong: Catalysis by Fe=X Complexes (X=NR, CR2); René Peters, Daniel F. Fischer and Sascha Jautze: Ferrocene and Half Sandwich Complexes as Catalysts with Iron Participation; Markus Jegelka, Bernd Plietker: Catalysis by Means of Complex Ferrates.

Catalytic reductions are among the most used synthetic transformations, and the past 15 years have seen great progress in this field. Science of Synthesis: Catalytic Reduction in Organic Synthesis includes the latest developments, as well as selective coverage of more well-established methods. Both heterogeneous and homogeneous catalytic systems are covered, and enantioselective methodology is well represented. There is a focus on the use of metal nanoparticles, both in suspension as well as on solid supports. Furthermore, the advent of research on the conversion of renewable resources into fuels and chemicals has given a great impetus to the field, as deoxygenations are often the first step in the conversion of biomass and this can often be achieved using hydrogenation or hydrogenolysis reactions. Scope, limitations, and mechanism of the reactions are discussed and key experimental procedures are included.

Advanced tools for developing new functional materials and applications in chemical research, pharmaceuticals, and materials science Cycloadditions are among the most useful tools for organic chemists, enabling them to build carbocyclic and heterocyclic structures. These structures can then be used to develop a broad range of functional materials, including pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyes, and optics. With contributions from an international team of leading experts and pioneers in cycloaddition chemistry, this book brings together and reviews recent advances, trends, and emerging research in the field. Methods and Applications of Cycloaddition Reactions in Organic Syntheses focuses on two component cycloadditions, with chapters covering such topics as: N1 unit transfer reaction to C–C double bonds [3+2] Cycloaddition of α, β-unsaturated metal-carbene complexes Formal [3+3] cycloaddition approach to natural product synthesis Development of new methods for the construction of heterocycles based on cycloaddition reaction of 1,3-dipoles Cycloreversion approach for preparation of large π-conjugated compounds Transition metal-catalyzed or mediated [5+1] cycloadditions Readers will learn methods for seamlessly executing important reactions such as Diels-Alder and stereoselective dipolar reactions in order to fabricate heterocyclic compounds, natural products, and functional molecules. The book not only features cutting-edge topics, but also important background information, such as the contributors’ process for developing new methodologies, to help novices become fully adept in the field. References at the end of each chapter lead to original research papers and reviews for facilitating further investigation of individual topics. Covering the state of the science and technology, Methods and Applications of Cycloaddition Reactions in Organic Syntheses enables synthetic organic chemists to advance their research and develop new functional materials and applications in chemical research, pharmaceuticals, and materials science.

This book summarises the significant progress made in organic thermoelectric materials, focusing on effective routes to minimize thermal conductivity and maximize power factor.